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Paying too much for Cable? I am and I’m sick of it. I made the decision to cut cable and move to a more digital friendly, possibly less expensive way of doing things. There was an upfront cost, but once things settled, I was paying for what I wanted rather than what the cable company thrust upon me.  This is currently written for US users only. If you have an international solution, please let me know and I’ll update the OP Hardware Roku – This small box will cut your cable bill in half with a few channels\services. The deluxe edition of the box is only $100 and can stream Netflix\Hulu and various other channels with subscriptions. AppleTV – Apple’s entry into the streaming TV market. The current model does 1080p and streams TV shows and movies from the iTunes store as well as streaming Netflix. It is currently not jailbroken for streaming other media. Paper Thin Leaf Indoor Antenna - This can be used to receive anything OTA including sports on stations like CBS Sites and Stores to get your content Hulu+ Pros and Cons + Watch tons of TV shows + See shows shortly after air or even simulcast - Advertisements - Occasionally slow to update Netflix Pros and Cons + Large library + No Ads - Shows expire after a period of time ITunes Pros and Cons + Large library + You can own the content so it can be replayed at any time or just a rental - Some titles not available Amazon Pros and Cons + Growing library, much like iTunes + You can own the content so it can be replayed at any time or just a rental - Some titles not available ESPN360 Pros and Cons + Majority of sports will be covered via this site - Your ISP must be partnered with ESPN to register and receive content Apps Fanhattan - You can use this app to determine which service to use to get your desired show If you have more experience with any of these services, or have any others to add, please let me know via PM or in this thread. I'll be updating the OP with as much information as possible. VPN Services Unblock-us.com edit: Added VPN Services for international\blackout. Thanks again for all the updates Irritated Goat fucked around with this message at 14:14 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 15, 2012 15:38
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Another option for sports and other live events is OTA HDTV. This antenna is $35, very small, and has great reviews. http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Thin-Leaf-Indoor-Antenna/dp/B004QK7HI8 Your mileage will vary of course. If you live in a state with smaller cities that don't have their own TV transmitters, you may only be able to pick up a channel or two. But if you can pick up some channels, you may be pleasantly surprised at how good the quality is compared to cable or DTV.
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Jun 15, 2012 16:00
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Edit: ^^ Personal Anecdote - Living about 25 miles from Chicago and I use this on the bottom floor of my split level house (mounted on a wall only a couple of feet above the ground line outside). I get every channel (except CBS but they're broadcasting in some frequency only used in two other places in the US) in HD. It can be a bit shaky during storms so I may get the amplified version of it when it goes on sale. Still a great device. If you've got an iOS device, the Fanhattan app (iTunes page) can help you find out what streaming services can provide you a particular show and movie. Helpful for figuring out which services are best for your favorite shows. Thwomp fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Jun 15, 2012 |
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Jun 15, 2012 16:22
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Is there a list somewhere of shows that just aren't available for viewing outside of TV close the air date? For instance, Persons of Interest. And all HBO stuff, but that's expected.
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Jun 15, 2012 17:34
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smackfu posted:Is there a list somewhere of shows that just aren't available for viewing outside of TV close the air date? For instance, Persons of Interest. And all HBO stuff, but that's expected. I would recommend using Trakt.tv Input your shows and it'll tell you when they air
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Jun 15, 2012 17:51
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smackfu posted:Another option for sports and other live events is OTA HDTV. That's because what's coming through the cable is compressed to hell and back, OTA is not. Forgot I can plug my laptop into my tv for ESPNU/ESPN360 stuff since the iPad app only works with like 5 providers. Is swear to god, Charter customers have access to ESPN3 via computer but not through the iPad app, how loving mental is that. Just-In-Timeberlake fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Jun 15, 2012 |
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Jun 15, 2012 20:47
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golgo13sf posted:Is swear to god, Charter customers have access to ESPN3 via computer but not through the iPad app, how loving mental is that. You're also describing the current state of all broadcast entertainment.
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Jun 15, 2012 21:28
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I thought this was going to be a thread about making your own cables. 
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Jun 15, 2012 23:58
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We have been cable free for about 8 months. We have a blu-ray player in one room, and an X-Box360 in the other. We subscribe to Hulu+ and Netflix. The biggest problem I've run into is CBS. We watch a lot of shows on CBS and can only watch them on the computer at this point. Does anyone have a solution?
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Jun 16, 2012 00:24
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I have a Mele 2000, a projector, and Netflix. I use Hulu free and some other free services/stuff. I built an OTA antennae for my ex to pickup HD content out of a 2x4 and some coathangers. Its invisible because its hidden behind the TV, it was about 3$ in parts. Really easy to do.
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Jun 16, 2012 03:47
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LoveMeDead posted:We have been cable free for about 8 months. We have a blu-ray player in one room, and an X-Box360 in the other. We subscribe to Hulu+ and Netflix. The biggest problem I've run into is CBS. We watch a lot of shows on CBS and can only watch them on the computer at this point. Does anyone have a solution? HDMI cable to TV?
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Jun 16, 2012 06:31
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LoveMeDead posted:We have been cable free for about 8 months. We have a blu-ray player in one room, and an X-Box360 in the other. We subscribe to Hulu+ and Netflix. The biggest problem I've run into is CBS. We watch a lot of shows on CBS and can only watch them on the computer at this point. Does anyone have a solution? Aside from just hooking up a PC to the TV, HDHomeRun OTA tuner to record them on a PC running Windows Media Center as they air, then you can use the Xbox 360 to watch the recordings. Or, try PlayOn running on the computer.
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Jun 16, 2012 14:07
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A note on the Leaf antenna: It doesn't do VHF signals, at least not well. Some areas have DTV channels on the VHF band (7-13). Mine has three: ABC, NBC and PBS. Check the "Real" frequency on http://tvfool.com/ for your location for the physical frequencies used in your area. If you need the VHF band, this similar unit from Winegard http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-Company-FL-5000-FlatWave-Digital/dp/B0063705PE/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1339852686&sr=8-9&keywords=winegard will cover that. I have the Costco version of this, which is translucent instead of black and white, and costs about $30.
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Jun 16, 2012 14:22
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That is a super useful tool! Thanks.
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Jun 16, 2012 16:39
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golgo13sf posted:That's because what's coming through the cable is compressed to hell and back, OTA is not. If you want to use ESPN360 on anything other than a web browser on a computer, you are pretty much required to get PlayOn. PlayOn is always running specials where you can get a lifetime license with a "free" Roku. I say "free" because they usually just give you a Amazon gift card for the cost of a Roku, so if you don't actually need a Roku it's still a pretty nice deal. Even with ESPN360 and OTA, cutting cable if you want sports isn't easy. You only get select sports games on certain days. You can get something like NBA League Pass if you like basketball, but they have blackout rules so I can't actually follow my local team with it. Like at all unless I go through a proxy (I heard this doesn't work with MLB). PlayOn is pretty drat useful, not just for sports. It's the only way to get Hulu on your mobile devices if you don't want to pay for Hulu+. And you can stream stuff from TV channel websites too. Spike puts tons of full episodes for all their shows up on their website. WhyteRyce fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Jun 19, 2012 |
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Jun 19, 2012 17:00
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WhyteRyce posted:If you want to use ESPN360 on anything other than a web browser on a computer, you are pretty much required to get PlayOn. PlayOn is always running specials where you can get a lifetime license with a "free" Roku. I say "free" because they usually just give you a Amazon gift card for the cost of a Roku, so if you don't actually need a Roku it's still a pretty nice deal. Good to know
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Jun 19, 2012 20:18
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Hopefully this is an appropriate thread to ask this question in. Is there a way to hook up an antenna in one room and connect it to a TV in a different room using the coax jacks on the walls? The reception in my living room (which is downstairs) is poor, so I'm looking for a way to get the antenna up higher (e.g. somewhere upstairs). If that isn't a good idea, I'm open to other suggestions.
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Jun 19, 2012 20:44
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upsciLLion posted:Hopefully this is an appropriate thread to ask this question in. Is there a way to hook up an antenna in one room and connect it to a TV in a different room using the coax jacks on the walls? The reception in my living room (which is downstairs) is poor, so I'm looking for a way to get the antenna up higher (e.g. somewhere upstairs). If that isn't a good idea, I'm open to other suggestions. Sure there is. Just use a coupler wherever your coax lines terminate to connect the two lines together.
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Jun 19, 2012 20:56
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Pretty sure ESPN3 requires both a participating ISP and a cable tv subscription.
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Jun 19, 2012 22:36
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TheScott2K posted:Pretty sure ESPN3 requires both a participating ISP and a cable tv subscription. Or a .edu domain
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Jun 19, 2012 22:55
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TheScott2K posted:Pretty sure ESPN3 requires both a participating ISP and a cable tv subscription. You don't need a cable subscription. I have access to it through my ISP w/out tv service.
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Jun 19, 2012 23:19
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TheScott2K posted:Pretty sure ESPN3 requires both a participating ISP and a cable tv subscription. Not with all providers. I have Comcast internet only and have happily been using ESPN3 for a couple years. I believe Time Warner requires some sort of subscription that includes ESPN though. No cable is tougher if you want sports. I can get most stuff I want, but for the remainder I've just resigned myself to going to the bar.
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Jun 20, 2012 07:14
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tk posted:Not with all providers. I have Comcast internet only and have happily been using ESPN3 for a couple years. I believe Time Warner requires some sort of subscription that includes ESPN though. Local blackout can be a real motherfucker with online sports streaming, especially college football. An antenna can fill most of those holes, but ever once in a while some local cable outfit has the rights that week.
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Jun 21, 2012 05:03
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TheScott2K posted:Local blackout can be a real motherfucker with online sports streaming, especially college football. An antenna can fill most of those holes, but ever once in a while some local cable outfit has the rights that week. This is where VPNs really come in handy. Just spoof your location that way and you can get around any blackout.
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Jun 25, 2012 14:31
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Modern Pragmatist posted:This is where VPNs really come in handy. Just spoof your location that way and you can get around any blackout. Can you link a few good ones? I'd like to put these in the OP for international posters
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Jun 25, 2012 15:40
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Moeru posted:Can you link a few good ones? I'd like to put these in the OP for international posters Well I personally log into VPNs hosted on my friends' home networks so I can't recommend any paid services. I used to be able to use CoDeeN proxies to get around blackouts, but it appears the list of servers isn't available right now.
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Jun 25, 2012 16:10
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Dick Trauma posted:I thought this was going to be a thread about making your own cables. Same here, AND I'm a little disappointed. 
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Jun 25, 2012 16:40
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Modern Pragmatist posted:This is where VPNs really come in handy. Just spoof your location that way and you can get around any blackout. My friend tried that for MLB and they detected he was behind a proxy and demanded he enter his credit card biling info before continuing. It works for NBA though.
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Jun 25, 2012 20:40
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Hide My rear end is a great VPN that i use for Netflix all the time
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Jun 25, 2012 22:12
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Quick question. I route all my current A/V signals through my home theater receiver. If I ditched DirecTV and went with an antenna, would my TV sound only come through the TV speakers?
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Jun 26, 2012 19:35
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Daddyo posted:Quick question. I route all my current A/V signals through my home theater receiver. If I ditched DirecTV and went with an antenna, would my TV sound only come through the TV speakers? Your TV should have an optical out you can use to push it back to the receiver.
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Jun 26, 2012 19:58
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Dr. Video Games 0050 posted:Hide My rear end is a great VPN that i use for Netflix all the time Use Unblock-us.com instead. It's cheaper and much, much faster (Because it isn't VPN)
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Jun 27, 2012 13:06
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Lilleput posted:Use Unblock-us.com instead. It's cheaper and much, much faster (Because it isn't VPN) E: Yeah, I need a DDRT router or some poo poo to flash....I just have the one I was given by my ISP. Dr. Video Games 0050 fucked around with this message at 15:51 on Jun 27, 2012 |
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Jun 27, 2012 15:43
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Dr. Video Games 0050 posted:I kinda like "it just works". Welcome to Cord Cutting/HTPCs. It doesn't do that.
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Jun 27, 2012 15:59
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I ditched cable for a Roku and antenna a few weeks ago. Even though I'm not close to a large city the antenna works amazingly well. If you have a Roku I'd highly recommend the private channel nowheretv. It is run by the same people that do the official Roku Newscaster station and media browser. It has streaming BBC 1-4, streaming CNN international, and streaming PBS from Wisconsin. It also has the latest full episodes (not just clips) of NBC nightly news and several cable news shows (Rachel Maddow, etc).
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Jun 30, 2012 17:43
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I think the OP is kind of selling the Roku box short, or maybe I just like mine too much. Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Crackle, MLB.tv, stream from a computer with Plex (or Subsonic for Android fans?), some NBC news stuff, and other video options. For audio, there's Pandora, Slacker, Rdio, MOG, ShoutCast, Soma.fm, etc. And if 720p is enough, a box can cost as little as $50 or $60. Also, most people probably already know, but Amazon Instant Video offers a few thousand movies/shows for no cost to primary Amazon Prime account holders.
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Jul 1, 2012 05:45
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Dish Network pissed me off this morning and I ended up paying $280 just to rid myself of their lovely service. When you guys talk about mlb.tv on devices like Roku, is there an extra monthly fee associated? Are my local games blacked out? Also, what's the deal with hbo go, do I need an account that subscribes to HBO? skattered fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Jul 1, 2012 |
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Jul 1, 2012 19:45
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skattered posted:When you guys talk about mlb.tv on devices like Roku, is there an extra monthly fee associated? Are my local games blacked out? Also, what's the deal with hbo go, do I need an account that subscribes to HBO? You need an mlb.tv subsciption (to watch live games, at least), local games are blacked out (with a pretty liberal definition of 'local'), and HBO Go requires a HBO subscription from a participating cable provider.
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Jul 1, 2012 20:28
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A quick reminder to everybody that antennas are antennas, and the big old Archer antenna that the previous owner had on top of the house will pick up the frequencies just fine. I've seen more than a couple people throw those things out and go buy $150 "Digital Antennas" for absolutely no reason. Obviously with very directional ones you'll need a rotator, but smaller ones should be non-directional enough to pick up stuff in a decent radius, with best performance in a rough cone coming off the antenna axis.
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Jul 2, 2012 16:06
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My DirecTV was officially cancelled today. Back to Comcast internet and their lowest nubs cable package. I still get Fox 5 which is imperative for my Redskin away game fix, Apple TV 2 with the NBA package solves my Rockets viewing. Jailbroken Apple TV to my NAS with all my movies, Netflix subscription. Possibly Hulu+ when the girlfriend moves in with the 360. Pretty nice adding $100 to other things than 1000 channels I didn't watch.
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Jul 3, 2012 03:11
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